3 giant, cross-braced, steel tower structures. Each tower counterbalances 2 arms on either side to provide 2 full cantilevered spans (each being 521 metres long with a 107 metre suspended span truss to centre) and 2 half outer spans. Each tower structure is set on 4 circular-plan granite and concrete piers. Piers to S on sea-bed; central piers on shelf of rock beside Inchgarvie (Dalmeny Parish); piers to N on promontory at North Queensferry.

Statement of Special Interest

The internationally acclaimed Forth (Railway) Bridge is one of the most ambitious and successful engineering achievements of the 19th century. On completion it achieved the longest bridge spans in the world and was the largest steel structure, pioneering the wide-spread adoption of steel in bridge construction. With its distinctive cantilevered design, the Forth Bridge is Scotland's most instantly recognisable industrial landmark. It has become a symbol of national identity in much the same way as the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The construction challenge posed by the Forth Bridge was immense. It took a five thousand strong workforce seven years to build it using more than fifty thousand tonnes of Siemens-Martin open-hearth steel and 8 million rivets. The bridge was first built in sections, on land, before being dissassembled and sent out on boats for re-erection at the bridge site. The towers rise from massive granite piers, the underwater foundations of which were constructed using 21m wide, submersible wrought-iron cylinders called caissons. The ciassons were carefully positioned on the sea bed before being filled with concrete. Numerous innovations by the principal contractor William Arrol (knighted 1890) included his hydraulic spade and riveting machines, allowing construction to advance at an extraordinary rate considering the scale and complexity of the project. As far as possible, the bridge design utilises natural features including the promontories and high banks at North and South Queensferry and the small outcrop of rock, Inchgarvie in the middle of the Firth.

A bridge crossing the Firth of Forth was first proposed in 1818 by Edinburgh civil engineer, James Anderson. Some engineers believed a tunnel would be a better solution and it was not until 1873 that the Forth Bridge Company was founded. The first contract was given to Thomas Bouch who designed a bridge modelled on his design for the Tay Bridge. However, after the Tay Bridge disaster of 28th December 1879, when high winds blew down the high central girders and around 75 lives were lost, the company felt it would be wiser to employ a completely new design. One brick pier of Bouch's abandoned scheme sits beneath the bridge at Inchgarvie rock - its physical survival contributing to the wider story of the bridge.

John Fowler (knighted 1885) and his colleague Benjamin Baker (knighted 1890) received the new commission. Fowler's background in railway engineering was distinguished having previously designed the first railway bridge across the Thames in 1860, St Enoch's station in Glasgow, and he was a principal engineer of the London Underground system. In preparation for the Forth Bridge, Benjamin Baker conducted experiments on wind pressure using a set of gauges that he installed on the Forth shoreline. Their innovative cantilever design allowed spans nearly four times larger than any railway bridge previously built and it remains the world's longest bridge built on the cantilever principle. Construction was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1883 and the bridge opened seven years later, on 4th March 1890, with Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, inserting a final inscribed gold plated rivet. The bridge has been in continuous use since then with around 200 trains passing over it each day (2013).

The bridge is known for its distinctive paint colour, called Forth Bridge Red. 7000 gallons of paint are required to cover the surface. Similar in shade to iron oxide, the colour helps to disguise areas prone to rust. The act of painting the bridge is used in conversation to refer to any task that appears to be never ending. Between 2002 and 2011, all earlier coats of paint were removed and a new hard-wearing coating system was applied. The new paint coating, originally developed for North Sea oil rigs, is expected to last for at least 20 years.

The bridge is included on the statutory list twice, both in the City of Edinburgh and Fife Council areas.

About Listed Buildings

Listing is the way that a building or structure of special architectural or historic interest is recognised by law through the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings of special architectural or historic interest using the criteria published in the Historic Environment Scotland Policy Statement.

The information in the listed building record gives an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building(s). It is not a definitive historical account or a complete description of the building(s). The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The only legal part of the listing is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing and if a number or name is missing from a listing address it may still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing can also cover structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage of the building, such as boundary walls, gates, gatepiers, ancillary buildings etc. The planning authority is responsible for advising on what is covered by the listing including the curtilage of a listed building. Since 1 October 2015 we have been able to exclude items from a listing. If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect current legislation.

If you want to alter, extend or demolish a listed building you need to contact your planning authority to see if you need listed building consent. The planning authority advises on the need for listed building consent and they also decide what a listing covers. The planning authority is the main point of contact for all applications for listed building consent.